Forgiveness makes me feel better, regardless of the response. Forgiveness, like love and respect, is unconditional. I forgive because it is who I am; it has nothing to do with merit. Even trust is without contingence (although I was taught that trust is earned). I trust simply because I feel better when I do – determining that trust, like love, is a part of who I am. If my trust is abused, I trust on… remaining in agreement with my true being. The way I see it, everybody wins – I’m true to myself, and the trust I extend is more likely to draw out the best in others. It’s a matter of faith – I trust God with my heart therefore I’m not afraid to give it away.
To clarify, I unconditionally trust CHRIST. I trust Him in me and in you; my position is anchored to my view of union. Trust is easy when I view all things in Christ. If your words or actions cause me pain then heightened trust will find the good. I can trust Christ even if He is not overtly obvious. I believe in the divine spark or the measure of faith that’s been given to all men. I trust Christ as the all in all and trust Him to ignite the spark in others. I trust with Christ’s own trust and extract His presence from unusual places. This trust is linked to God. I trust God alone…therefore I trust everything else.
Undivided trust finds the good. Painful occurrences become vital catalysts for taking needed steps. I’m hindered only when I judge an action (judgment severs trust) and lose sight of Love”s bigger message. God intends to save me from the illusion of separation – even if it hurts. When Love speaks through hurtful situations He may be asking me to repent, or to get over myself; He may be asking me to love hilariously or to set a much needed boundary; or He may even be asking me to courageously walk away from an abusive relationship. In any event, I can trust without condition that what is occurring is exactly what is needed to purify this vessel.
Discernment is not nullified; however a suspicious mind is often dubbed “discernment” while fear and faithlessness go undetected. Trusting Christ remains the key. Even my world view changes with this kind of trust. I fear less knowing that nothing gets to me that doesn’t first pass through God. Everything works for the good. God gets bigger in my eyes and His generous outlook becomes my own. Worldly attempts at security or self-protection are put to rest as I nestle into the truth that God is in control. Life is simpler, I am happier, and freedom of movement is accompanied by peace and joy.
I’m enjoying the exploration and the journey. By the way, thanks, Claudia, for the term “undivided trust.” Not only have I pondered it regarding trusting God “no matter what” but it fits with what the Lord is speaking in me regarding relationships with others…
Well, well, well, what a terrific reminder for my thirsty soul. I needed to remember that old adage “Nothing gets to me that doesn’t first pass through him.” It so easy to think in terms of material wealth, good situations versus bad ones–and you are truthful to remeind us that sometimes Love does tell us to walk away or yield, or what have you, but more than all of that, the big deal is God. Just recently I saw a bumper sticker that said “God is Love.” Then God put that old Sunday school song in my heart…”Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He that loves not knows not God, for God is love” (I John 4:7-8). My heart is lighter at the sweet sound of your words, Christ in his Susan.
beautiful is the forgiveness our Lord restores our hearts to. To trust our fellow man is to trust our God. I too see it as a win win state of heart and mind. Truth is trust and the truth needs only to love without condition or variance. Truth has no need to defend its stand or prove that it takes a righteous stand. Truth is and that’s all it needs to be. Truth gives itself entirely without fear of losing anything. So it is with trust, it gives itself away with no reserve. Imagine to trust the seed of Christ in every man is to walk the wire without a net! But not without a net as the love of God is or safety net!
It is awesome to watch the Glory of the Lord unfold in His humanity. I witness it here as He turns my face towards this beautiful work of His hands within my sisters.
I sense His prompting for me to share (add to) the subject of ‘loving Him, loving others.’ I will go to an email first, and give you the opportunity to sift and keep what He highlights to you.
There is another very important spoke of the wheel, so to speak, along this journey. And that is: Wait, I say, wait upon the Lord.
Why? Why is this so important?
Because often because of the ‘voice of the accuser’ with all its ‘you should be this way or that’ within us, we seek to produce fruit before even the marriage has been consummated. Stop and ponder this for a moment.
The strongest part of the foundation He has laid in me, from the beginning, are born from those words. There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. These times are totally governed by Him, for only He knows the seasons of our soul and its process towards purification and preparation for His full abode within us.
Even our Lord ‘did not commit Himself to man, for He knew what was in him.’ Point: There is a process we are to learn to recognize. His process.
Now before I take more space than allotted, go to your email.
Sorry, I meant to highlight these jewels from this correspondence!
Your words Susan: Forgiveness feels better, regardless of the response.
And . . . To clarify, I unconditionally trust CHRIST. I trust Him in me and in you; my position is anchored to my view of union. Trust is easy when I view all things in Christ. I trust Christ as the all in all and trust Him to ignite the spark in others. I trust with Christ
Here you go Susan. . . A reflection of your words.
Psalms 27:
I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
And then mine:
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Claudia, thanks for adding to the ‘working out’ process. There are two portions that I am especially enjoying:
“We seek to produce fruit before even the marriage has been consummated. Stop and ponder this for a moment.”
AND
“I cannot forgive you until He who is forgiveness itself has consummated HIS PLACE in me that was rivaled by you; rivaled in the sense of ‘what I thought I needed from you’ to make me feel whole, approved, etc.”
I appreciate the way all things return to complete reliance upon Him when you and I communicate, Claudia. Trusting His hand upon me and recognizing His jealous love over me is a revelation in humble receiving. I am the object of His affection and He is mine. But He is winning my heart for only He can.
I see what you’re saying about the “process” and how we cannot produce fruit before the marriage is consummated. Every word that comes is in seed form and needs “privacy” with the Lord before it can bear His fruit. Writing really is a form of laboring or giving birth…
Claudia and Susan, the added comments on forgiveness and trust were like sequels to a beautiful epic such as, Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars. The story has a time line in which each story needs reflection and pondering. In this a root of understanding is sent down into our holy knowing place. It is then at that time that the next chapter of the story is presented. After there has been time to digest or bring maturation to the first part of the story.
Much like what you said Susan regarding this process of coming awake to a truth.
“Every word that comes is in seed form and needs “privacy” with the Lord before it can bear His fruit.”
The voices are silenced that tell me to give birth when I have been impregnated for only one week or one month. The process is longer and we need wait on the Lord, wait I say!
Hey! There you both are!
I am reminded of the time I was sitting quietly with the Lord in a place of ‘enlightenment that brought tears of joy’ over the truth of what I was able to understand ‘in that moment of His Presence’ . . .
I asked Him: Lord, why can’t I stay here? Why is it I will
seem to ‘forget’ what you said? Why can’t I just stay here in this place of understanding this particular truth?
He said: Because you would be deformed! These are seeds. My Words are seeds being planted in your consciousness and in their planting, you ‘understand and experience their blessing.’ In My time and in My Workings within you and without, they will grow into their full potential and become your reality.
Then He gave me a very precious word of encouragement:
IF YOU SEE IT, IT’S YOURS!
Meaning, if I can see or become aware of a way of being with Him, as in ‘walking in trust’ . . .that ‘seeing’ is His promise it will be my reality.
How faithful He is to take away the ‘voice of the accuser within’ that says: “See how you are falling short of that behaviour of the Spirit! You see it, but cannot be it!” And instead, our Precious Saviour tells us these things that He is going to be working into our lives, all by Himself. I think it is in Isaiah, where He says: I tell you these things, so when they happen, you will know that I told you beforehand!”